Sunday, December 23, 2012

Only in Japan: Santa Elves grilling Chicken at 7/11

A young Japanese woman dressed in a Santa suit stands outside in the cold and grills chicken in front of a 7/11 in Funabashi, Japan

I must stop and enjoy the efforts of the Japanese to promote Christmas. They love uniforms in Japan and the red santa suits are a hit. From pizza delivery boys to 7/11 employees who could resist the red and white uniform of Christmas. They caught my attention as I rode down the street on a borrowed bicycle.

Many Japanese young employees, especially females seem to be excited with putting on a costume for work. I guess it is kind of like Hawaiian shirt day at the office back in the U.S. except they only get it once a year.

A 7/11 worker prepares and wraps a freshly grilled piece of chicken two days before Christmas in Japan.

Also another thing to note is that the official food for Christmas in Japan is chicken (roasted, fried, grilled it doesn't seem to matter). Take a look at this post on KFC Christmas in Japan

After stopping off and wishing the elves at 7/11 a hardy "Merry Christmas" I arrived only to see the pizza guy in a full Santa suit and again wished him a "Merry Christmas." He smiled and took off on his moped.

I hope as the trend continues that the Japanese start to dig a little deeper into the things of Christmas. I mean why the white and red? Who was Santa Claus? Are we doing this just for the money? lol

All in all, I am try to enjoy my Christmas time in Japan although it is typically disheartening for many who esteem Christmas as something more than just a fun time to dress up.

I hope you enjoyed a little taste of Christmas on the street in Japan.